


Of Witches and Familiars

by Iceshard1011



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, Angst with a Happy Ending, Familiars, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Mild Blood, Minor Violence, Post-War, Sympathetic Sides (Sanders Sides), post apocalyptic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:49:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27462976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iceshard1011/pseuds/Iceshard1011
Summary: Having a familiar is a rare gift. Some may label it as a 'curse' but Patton is inclined to think otherwise.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Logic | Logan Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Of Witches and Familiars

**Author's Note:**

> tw: abuse, brief gore mention, cursing, death mention, escape attempts, fire mention, guns, low-key attempted genocide, manipulation, mild trust issues, minor character deaths, running away, shock collars, traps mention, violence, yelling

The world was on fire.

The world knew that having a familiar was a special venture, dependent first on the blood in an individual, and then, made at random and created by the connection between the soul of witch and animal.

Familiars had existed with the humans of witch blood for generations. It was tradition. Culture.

Until someone decided they didn’t like it. Until powerful people decided they didn’t like that they couldn’t control it. Until the world decided it needed to destroy itself in order to regain that control.

Animals were hunted down. Witch-bloods were executed. Species were driven to extinction. Familiar schools that taught all about the gift were burned, shut down, destroyed.

The world forced itself into its own decline for generations.

Fortunately for a certain trio of witch-bloods, who existed centuries after the chaos and destruction, the world’s flames were extinguished.

Unfortunately, residual embers can always re-spark the fire.

Patton stared up at the sunlight streaming down through the branches overhead. It danced with the shadows over his face as the wind moved the trees.

He heaved a quiet sigh. It felt good to be able to relax. The grass tickling at the back of his neck grounded him in the reality that he was outside _(after months of being held in steel walls)_ and the breeze brushing against his nose smelt of flowers and fresh air _(so much better than the air flow created by the huge overhead fans)._

A chirp brought him out of his thoughts, and he reached up, feeling silky fur run under his fingers.

The ferret pounced onto Patton’s stomach and wiggled beneath his hands. Patton stroked him gratefully, for once glad that his connection to his familiar was emotions. He thought about all the other connections that could exist between familiars and their humans.

He tried not to think about the man wearing a white coat who had explained the world of familiars to him as they clipped a collar around Janus’ tiny neck.

He didn’t think about how the other two boys he’d met at the facility had their own familiars, and how they’d glared at the men who’d brought Patton into their dorm.

He didn’t think about how little food they were given or how he had had to sneak some extra into their dorm out of desperation. He didn’t think about the pale faces of his friends when the facility had found out.

He definitely _did not_ think about the noises their familiars had made when their collars sent bolts of electricity zapping through their bones.

A dull pain made Patton blink and look down at his hand to see Janus was gnawing at his fingertips.

He chuckled weakly and pried his fingers from the ferret’s mouth. Janus eyed him with his dark, intelligent eyes. Patton poked his nose gently, which made him sneeze and break the eye contact.

“Sorry,” Patton whispered, scratching his familiar’s chin just the way he liked it. “Didn’t mean to make you anxious.” For once, Patton was glad that he and Janus couldn’t share thoughts, like Logan and Virgil could. He didn’t want Janus to know what he’d been thinking about. (He didn’t think about how Janus could probably guess.)

_The warmth laying across Patton’s shoulders was a comforting weight as he followed the stranger through the huge building._

_He was told that the high-tech facility had been built for the purpose of finding and caring for people like Patton. Everyone else would have called Patton cursed. These people, though, were calling him ‘gifted’. Special. Important._

_Patton thought it sounded delightful, but Janus was uncomfortable. The ferret’s blunt claws were twitching against Patton’s neck like tiny pinpricks. Patton had learnt early on that Janus’ judgement was much better than his own, which was a little embarrassing sometimes. Patton wouldn’t have thought it possible for an animal to be smart enough to detect a human lie, but Janus had proven time and time again that he was incredibly adept at keeping Patton safe._

_He reached up and gently poked Janus’ nose. He grinned when the ferret pulled away from him with a sour look._

_“What do you think?” Patton whispered._

_Janus eyed him warily. He didn’t scratch at his neck, where the collar was snug against his fur, but Patton had a feeling the tightness in his chest wasn’t his own. He tried for a sympathetic smile._

_“It’s okay,” he said quietly. “Maybe the other people here can help.”_

_“Here,” the man leading him said, and Patton realised they were approaching a large metal door. He watched curiously as a black-suited man who had been silently walking alongside them unlatched the heavy looking bolt and waved a card at a kind of scan in the wall beside the door. It opened with a buzzing noise._

_There might’ve been voices on the other side of the door, but Patton wasn’t sure; they quietened down the moment the door started to push open. Patton peered in. A nudge to his back encouraged him forward (and earned the man a dirty look from Janus)._

_The room on the other side of the door was enormous. Bright lights blared down from the ceiling high overhead. The walls were bland and starkly clean, feeling oppressive and threatening, but that could have just been Janus’ emotions bleeding into Patton’s._

_Patton didn’t get a chance to fully take in the new environment before his world tipped and his breath rushed out of him with a gasp._

_A huge dark shape hovered over him, making loud snuffling sounds. A wet, black nose pushed into Patton’s cheek and he fought the urge to laugh, half delighted by the greeting and half petrified. He wondered what familiar this was._

_Struggling to prop himself up with his elbows, he inched away from the enthusiastic animal._

_He blanched, however, when he found he’d been leapt upon by a big, dark-eyed grizzly bear._

_Gulping, Patton scrambled to his feet and scuttled back. The bear didn’t seem particularly interested in him anymore, however, and just turned its big head around and lumbered away from them._

_“You!” barked the guard. Patton followed his gaze to one of the other witch-bloods. He looked Patton’s age, but he didn’t look very friendly. He scowled back at the guard, a clear look of defiance in his eyes. “What have you been told about keeping your animal calm?”_

_“You say that as if you expect me to be able to control him,” the boy snapped back. Patton blinked as another figure caught his eye. This one was off to the side, watching the exchange through narrowed eyes and a sour expression. He didn’t look any more welcoming than the first one._

_“He’s your soul animal, you_ can _control it,” the guard growled._

“Him,” _the boy corrected viciously. “And no, I can’t.”_

 _The guard paused, and Patton blinked. Was this a surprise? Were witch-bloods_ supposed _to be able to control their familiars? Patton reached up and ran a hand down Janus’ fur, realising he was rigid with fear. Gently, Patton lifted him from his shoulders and cradled the ferret to his chest, feeling his tiny heartbeat against his own._

 _If it was a defect of sorts, Patton was glad he was unable to control Janus — he didn’t _ want _to control his little furry friend. He loved Janus and his energetic, rebellious nature and judgmental looks and how he didn’t always listen when Patton told him to do something, even though they both knew full well he could understand him._

_“What?” the guard demanded._

_The boy shrugged. He hardly budged when the bear lumbered over to him and nudged his hip with its enormous head. “I mean, I can tell him that I want him to do something, but that doesn’t mean he’ll_ listen.”

_The guard glanced at the man in white._

_“Perhaps the extended years of separation from human partners has resulted in a more... free-willed sense of nature,” he murmured, seemingly to himself. The guard looked as perplexed as Patton felt._

_“We’ll fix it,” the guard said to the man. Without another word, the two adults left the room. The door slammed shut behind them with a_ boom _that almost seemed to shake the entire room._

 _“So... he’s_ not _going to snap and eat all of us?” Patton piped up, his gaze darting to the bear anxiously. He felt Janus hunker down further against his chest._

_“Not unless I tell him to,” the boy said, lifting his chin._

_“You just said you couldn’t control what he did,” said the second boy, pushing off the wall he’d been leaning against and moving forward._

_“Shut up,” the one with the bear familiar grumbled, but Patton noted he didn’t sound as heated as he had with the two men._

_The second boy moved passed the first without a glance at the huge bear and walked right up to Patton._

_“Logan,” he introduced, holding out his hand. Patton smiled and shook it. Janus leaned forward and sniffed quiet at the newcomer. Patton didn’t feel any resulting emotions, apart from perhaps relaxing, which was reassuring._

_A bird’s call made Patton look up just in time to see a black-feathered bird land on the boy’s shoulder._

_“This is my familiar,” Logan said. Patton stared up at the beautiful bird in awe._

_“They’re gorgeous,” he said. Logan didn’t really react to that, but something in his eyes looked pleased._

_“I’d advise you not to get on Virgil’s bad side,” he said. “Surprisingly enough, he’ll cause a lot more trouble than Remus.”_

_An answering huff made Patton peer around Logan with a gulp._

_“The bear?” he asked quietly._

_“He’s dumber than he looks,” the first boy said, joining Logan. “My name’s Roman, by the way.”_

_Patton looked between the two of them. A small wiggle from Janus told him the ferret was feeling the same way he was. He grinned._

_“I’m Patton.”_

Patton didn’t know when — or how — but he figured he must have fallen asleep, because the next time he opened his eyes, the sun had been replaced with stars sparkling in a sky of obsidian.

Janus was curled up on top of him, unbothered by the rising and falling of Patton’s chest with each breath.

A rock bonked against Patton’s nose.

He jumped, waking Janus up, who sprung to his feet, his tiny claws grasping for a hold on Patton’s shirt.

“Psst,” a voice hissed, and Patton suppressed a sigh. He sat up, dislodging a disgruntled Janus, and looked to his right. The shadow crouching beside one of the trees rose to its feet and crept over to Patton.

“What is it?” Patton asked quietly. “And would it kill you to be less all... mysterious, hiding in the trees like that?"

“Logan’s doing his overthinking thing,” Roman said.

“What is he overthinking about?” Patton asked, standing and brushing grass from his clothes. Roman hesitated, which piqued Patton’s interest further. The boy was hardly ever quiet. Logan would call it ‘obsessed with the sound of his own voice’. Patton, personally, would call it passionate. “Roman?” he prompted.

“He doesn’t think staying here is a good idea,” Roman said.

Patton frowned. “In the woods?”

Roman looked uncharacteristically nervous when he responded, “In the country.”

_Surprisingly, it didn’t take much for Patton to relax around the bear. Remus, apparently, wasn’t as terrifying as his introduction had suggested. Patton certainly wasn’t as inclined as Roman to call him ‘dumb’, but the most the big mammal did was amble around the huge room and sniff at its other inhabitants._

_Patton sat on one of the metal seats that had been provided and listened as Logan talked and Roman interrupted. He tried not to giggle when the raven Virgil landed on his shoulder and nibbled at his hair. He noticed that the two animals had little metal collars almost identical to the one around Janus' neck. Patton wondered if it was a tracking device, or something._

_“Having a familiar cannot be bred, taught or learned,” Logan was saying, and Patton listened with rapt attention. No one in the facility had bothered to explain anything about familiars, apart from the fact that it was an incredibly rare, powerful gift. Roman didn’t seem as interested; he kept rolling his eyes and heaving long suffering sighs. Patton wondered if Logan talked about familiars a lot. He wouldn’t have minded if Logan decided to talk Patton’s ears off about familiars forever._

_“How did you and your ferret find each other, if you don’t mind me asking?” Logan said._

_Patton glanced down at Janus, who had been eye-balling Remus._

_“I thought someone was calling me,” he admitted slowly, suddenly aware that he sounded ridiculous, but Logan’s eyes lit up._

_“Really?” he said, leaning forward, looking more attentive than Patton had seen him. He nodded with a smile._

_“Yeah,” he said, encouraged to continue. “I was near the edge of town and I thought I heard my name, but that couldn’t have been right—”_

_“Why not?” Roman asked, looking curious for the first time._

_Patton hesitated. He fiddled with the end of his shirt. He didn’t like explaining those kinds of things. Why were his pants ripped? Why didn’t he just buy a clean shirt? When was the last time he washed? What would his parents say if they found him out wandering the streets so late at night?_

_Janus, feeling his distress, worked his way beneath his hands and allowed Patton to pat him._

_“Forget we asked,” Logan said before Patton could work out how to reply. Roman shot Logan a sharp look but quickly dropped it when he glanced back at Patton. Patton wondered if his emotions were that easy to read. “Did you find Janus at the edge of town?”_

_“He just ran up to me,” Patton said with a faint smile. “Came right out from the trees like he wasn’t afraid of a single thing.”_

_Logan returned his small smile. “Virgil perched on my windowsill and knocked against it until I let him in.” The raven trilled lowly and hopped up onto Logan’s shoulder. “He was at it for an entire day. Once I worked it out, it had certainly explained the reason I kept mistaking my parents’ requests for my presence.”_

_“Are all familiars able to call like that?” Patton asked._

_Logan frowned. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “From what I’ve read — and heard from you two, now — familiars are able to make a very faint, weak connection with their witch-bloods which, what I can guess, sounds like the witch-blood’s name. First contact is when your real way of communication is formed.”_

_“Oh! Like Janus and I share emotions!” Patton said, glad to finally know something that Logan did._

_Logan’s eyes sparkled with interest. “Is that what you can do?”_

_Patton nodded. Logan leant back and ran a finger down his raven’s chest. “Virgil and I can communicate telepathically. It’s still weak, little more than a few words at a time, and on occasion I don’t understand what he’s trying to say, but it’s been particularly useful.”_

_Patton laughed, delighted. “I can imagine! What about you, Roman? How’d you meet Remus?”_

_Roman scowled and Patton worried he’d crossed a line. But then he shifted and pulled up one of his long sleeves. Patton stared at the thick, ugly scar running up the inside of his wrist and disappearing under the rest of his sleeve._

_“Goes up across my chest,” Roman said, looking grumpy. “Stupid beartrap.”_

_Logan rolled his eyes. “I’m still amazed that it was_ your _trap that caught the bear and you manage to be offended that he took a swipe at you.”_

_“I didn’t know he was going to be angry at me!” Roman protested._

_“He was trapped in_ your _contraption being approached by someone dressed as a_ hunter _,” Logan said, and Patton stifled a giggle. “What would you have done? Sat still and let yourself be prodded at by a stranger?”_

_Roman grumbled under his breath._

_As if sensing he was being talked about, Remus bounded over to the group. He shoved his snout into Roman’s chest so hard he almost tipped off his chair. Roman grunted and shoved the bear’s head away with a huff and got a low yowl of protest in response._

_Patton’s heart pricked. “Do you not like your familiar?” he asked._

_“He does,” Logan said as Remus turned his attention to Patton and moved to him instead. Patton tried not to flinch, but he still went rigid when the bear lay down with a_ thump _and rested his chin on Patton’s knee. “He just refuses to admit it.”_

_Roman made a face at Logan._

_Patton cautiously scratched behind Remus’ ear, but the bear hardly reacted._

_“He’s happy,” Roman said, rather abruptly, which made Patton look up._

_“How do you know?” Patton asked._

_“I can read his movements,” Roman said with a shrug. “That’s our connection. His right paw is clenching.” Patton leant forward and saw that Roman was right; Remus' huge front paw was kneading against the cold floor. Patton smiled._

_“Does that mean he’s happy?”_

_Roman nodded, his gaze staying on his familiar. Patton hoped he wasn’t imagining the soft look in the boy’s eyes._

_Patton smiled and kept scratching his new friend’s big head._

Patton blanched.

“You want us to _leave_?” he echoed. “Run? Flee the country?”

Logan met his gaze steadily. “We are not safe,” he said. “We have already had to move across town three times in order to escape the police patrols.”

“The cities surrounding us have all heard of the ‘escaped criminals that attacked innocent people on their path to freedom’,” added Roman. “It’s only a matter of time before they find us.”

“Or we run out of hiding spots,” Logan agreed.

Patton looked between them, baffled. “You’re both in agreement, then? You think we should run away?”

“Either that or we turn and take on squadrons of police officers and their guns,” Logan countered. Patton looked at Roman, confused. He’d been so vehement about escaping their prison a few days ago. He hadn’t cared about the guards he and Remus had attacked.

“I’ll fight if we have to,” said Roman, catching Patton’s look, “but I don’t want to hurt any more innocent people.”

“Those guards weren’t innocent people,” protested Patton. “They hurt our familiars. They hurt us!”

“They could have had families,” Roman said, looking as distraught as Patton felt. “Children. A life outside of a job they signed up for just to pay the bills.”

Patton opened his mouth to argue, but his words caught in his throat when fur brushed against his ankle. He looked down to see Janus winding his way between his legs, staring up at him with his big dark eyes. Patton sighed and bent down, lifting his familiar into his arms and cradling him against his chest. Janus pressed his small, cold nose to Patton’s throat. He swallowed and blinked, fighting the tears that had — for some reason — sprung into his eyes.

“I know you’re scared,” said Logan softly, catching Patton’s attention again. “I know it’s not going to be easy.” He shrugged sympathetically. “It’s the best chance we’ve got.”  
  
Patton sighed, sitting down to prevent head spins. “How do you expect to smuggle a bear out of a country?”

Logan shared a glance with Roman and Patton had a feeling they’d discussed this before bringing it to Patton.

“There’s a boat,” murmured Logan. “It’s at a port in a nearby town. The guy has been known to smuggle just about anything at the right price.”

“What price?” asked Patton, feeling deflated. “We don’t have anything to pay with.”

Logan glanced at Roman again, and then slipped a shining golden brooch from his front pocket. Patton’s felt his heart dip.

“That’s—”  
  
“The scientist’s?” Logan said.

Roman grinned. “Ours, now.”

Patton looked between them and the priceless brooch, shocked. “What…?”

“Nicked it from him when he got knocked out,” Roman said.

“You mean when Remus barreled into him,” Patton corrected with a small smile.

Roman shrugged. “He deserved it.” Patton chose not to ask what had come over Roman in his decision to thieve in the middle of an escape attempt.

“It’s just a brooch,” Patton said, although he was just as keen for this to work as the others.

“It’s pure gold,” Logan said.

“You’re sure this boat captain will take it?” Patton asked.

“He’d be stupid not to,” Roman replied.

“If he doesn’t, we’re stranded,” Patton pointed out. “What if he decides to turn us in?”

Roman crossed his arms. Behind him, Remus snorted. Patton eyed the pair warily before sighing.

“Okay,” he said. Janus wiggled out from his arms and clambered onto his shoulders. “When are we leaving?”

_“What are you so chirpy for?”_

_Patton looked over at Roman, smiling at his bewildered-mixed-curious expression._

_“I just..." He laughed quietly and shrugged. “I’m glad I’m not the only one with a familiar,” he admitted. “I’m happy I’ve met you guys.”_

_Roman wrinkled his nose like that confused him but he didn’t interject._

_“This place isn’t all it seems,” Logan said, coming forward. Virgil was nibbling on his collar._

_“It seems pretty great,” Patton said, but a spike in his stomach made him glance down. Janus was staring up at him, looking to be in fierce disagreement. Patton hesitated._

_“It’s not,” said Roman. “It sucks.”_

_“Tonight, like always, they’re going to put us in separate dorms,” Logan said, reaching up to absentmindedly stroke Virgil’s chest._

_Patton frowned. “That doesn’t seem —”  
_

_“Away from our familiars,” Roman said, and Patton felt his stomach twist unpleasantly. He was sure it wasn’t just Janus._

_“Oh,” he uttered in a small voice. At Roman’s back, where Roman was leaning against his side casually, Remus grunted in agreement._

_“It is admittedly how we found out our connection currently has range restrictions,” Logan said. “There’s a possibility that will fade as the connection gets stronger, but as for now, I cannot communicate with Virgil through thick metal walls across a warehouse distance.”_

_Patton suddenly realised his hands were shaking. He gripped his shirt in an attempt to stop them._

_“We’ve been doing rounds, since we came here,” Roman said. He ignored Remus when the bear growled._

_“Rounds?” Patton echoed._

_“Watches,” Roman elaborated. Patton almost screamed when Remus caught Roman’s arm in his mouth, but Roman hardly reacted and kept talking. “We check on the guards and the routes they use, what they have on their schedules.” Remus let go of his arm. Patton blinked at the clean, significantly not-mangled arm. There was no blood or crushed bones or even any fang marks. There was maybe a little slobber. Patton wondered if Remus just liked gnawing on whatever he could reach._

_“How?” Patton asked. “This place has such high security.”_

_“Like I said,” Logan said with a small smirk, “it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”_

_That’s when the door slammed open._

_“You,” snarled the guard, pointing at Logan. Patton felt his heart seize. Janus squirmed uncomfortably. “Get over here.”_

_“It’s not dusk yet,” Logan said. He didn’t move._

_“Do I look like I give a damn what time it is?” the guard snapped. “Here. Now.”_ _  
_

_Logan only scowled._

_Two more guards stormed into the room. Roman stood and Remus let out a low, guttural groan. The guards hesitated for a moment. Roman and Logan stared them down, the heavy presence of the bear in the room backing them._

_Patton looked between the two groups, wide-eyed. He subconsciously took a step back, holding Janus against him._ _  
_

_The guard still at the entrance scowled. He held up a small, metal device. Patton wasn’t sure what it was until it was clicked, it lit up with a beep, and cries of pain erupted through the room._

_Patton didn’t know what had happened._

_He blinked hazily. A small, furry, familiar face was sniffing at him. He shifted and pushed himself onto his hands and knees with a small groan. His muscles felt like they’d been enveloped in flames._

_He winced and rubbed at his head. Janus barked and Patton hushed him._

_He froze when he saw Janus’ pelt, which was unruly and ruffled. For a ferret, he had always been very particular about his appearance. He was constantly grooming or smoothing his fur. He frowned and looked up—_

_Logan was staggering to his feet, holding his head. Virgil was clinging, hunkered, to his shoulder. Roman was curled in on himself, trembling. Remus was lying beside him, low whines coming from the back of his throat._

_The guards were moving before Patton fully understood what was going on. They gripped Logan by his arms and dragged him from the room. Virgil squawked weakly in alarm, but the first guard ripped him from Logan. The door crashed shut. Patton felt sick._

_Roman groaned and sat up. Patton crawled over to him, scared and unsure of what had happened. Janus moved alongside him, much slower and more feeble than usual. Roman shifted like every movement hurt. Painstakingly slow, he stretched his legs out from underneath him and guided Remus’ head over to his lap. He stroked between the bear’s ears and leant back against him with a shaky sigh._

_“Told you this place sucked,” Roman said without mirth._

_Patton swallowed. He looked between Remus and Janus, eyeing their collars and suddenly felt a lot more scared than he had before._

_“Can I ask a question?” he asked in a hoarse whisper. Roman looked up at him from his familiar. He looked gentler than usual. Maybe Patton sounded as scared as he felt. “When familiars... get hurt, do you...”_

_“Feel it?” Roman finished, and Patton nodded. “Yes. And vice versa, too. Logan told me that when one time he sprained his wrist, while nothing anatomically was wrong, Virgil refused to fly for weeks.”_

_Patton didn’t reply to that. He looked towards the shut door. “Where do you think they’re being taken?” he asked softly._

_Roman shrugged. “Who knows, in this place.”_

_“You’re not scared for him?” Patton asked, looking back at him._

_Roman returned his gaze to Remus. “I’ve been here for a couple of weeks. Logan has been the only somewhat-positive interaction I’ve had since I’ve been here.” Roman’s fist curled into Remus’ fur. The look in his eyes made Patton shiver. “If anything happens to him, I’ll rip these assholes apart.”_

_“He’ll come back, right?” Patton asked. “I mean, they’ll bring him back here?”_

_“Who knows?” Roman said again. He leaned more heavily against Remus. Patton looked down at Janus, sitting near his leg._

What are we going to do? _Patton thought, and he was painfully reminded of Logan and Virgil and their telepathic connection. He held out his hand and Janus crawled against him._

 _“I’m sorry,” he whispered, gently stroking the ferret’s head. “I should’ve listened to your judgement.” He closed his eyes, keeping tears from escaping._ Too naive. Too trusting. Stupid. Dumb. _Doormat—_

_Janus bit into his wrist, making him shake the thoughts away._

_Patton glanced up but Roman looked like he’d passed out against Remus._

_Patton curled over Janus, watching the still, quiet, bright room suddenly feeling very alone and very, very scared._

“I’m hungry,” Roman complained.

“Get in line,” Logan grumbled, and Patton giggled. He didn’t remember the last time he’d seen Logan so grumpy.

Above them, Virgil swooped down with a warbling cry.

“The port is just ahead of these trees,” Logan said. “Remember, don’t act nervous and don’t give in to any stares.”

“It’s barely sunrise,” Roman said. “Anyone else out at this time can catch these hands.”  
  
“Never say that again,” Logan told him. “And no, we are not here to start more fights. We are here to escape.”

“I hate running away,” Roman said.

“You seemed to be fine with it when that swan came for you, at that pond an hour ago,” Patton said. Roman turned on him with an expression of utmost offense and he broke down in a giggle. Roman stared at him, baffled, before he cracked and laughed too.

“Enough,” Logan said. “We need to focus.”  
  
“Okay, Grumpypants.” Roman poked at him with a smile. Beside him, Remus snorted. Logan glared at them both. At Patton’s shoulder, Janus chirped in amusement.

Then the trees disappeared, and they were faced with a pebbly beach and a wooden dock. A boat that looked like it could definitely hold a bear was stationed at the end, but Patton didn’t see any movement on it.

“Are you sure this is it?” Patton asked. “What if the pamphlet you read was outdated?”

“Or a trap,” Roman added.

“I doubt the people searching for us are so smart as to try that kind of approach to recapturing us,” Logan said.

A cleared throat made the three look back at the boat and Patton started when he realised there was suddenly someone standing on the deck, watching them through narrowed, shaded eyes.

“Can I ask what anyone would want with you?” he said, eyeing the trio up and down.

Virgil trilled, shaking his feathers out. The man looked at the black bird, then to the hard-to-miss grizzly at Roman’s side. His eyebrows rose to his dark hairline.

“Huh,” he muttered, almost looking impressed.

“We—” Logan started, but he sounded like his voice failed him.

“We need your help,” Patton blurted and immediately wished he could sew his mouth shut.

“Do you, now?” The man sounded amused.

“Look, it’s a straight yes or no answer,” interjected Roman, stepping forward. “We need help. Can you get us out of here or not?”

The man barked with a laugh. “Depends,” he said, and Patton wondered if it was just to piss off Roman. “What do you need?”

“A ride,” said Patton. “Can you get us out of the country?”

The man laughed again. “That’s a big ask.”

“We can pay it.” Logan pulled out the brooch from his pocket. “If you know how much this is worth, anyway.”

The man reached up and slid his sunglasses down his nose, eyeing the jewel. “Where’d you get it?”

Logan pulled it back out of his reach. “We will pay you to get us away from here.”

The man smirked but didn’t answer. The silence felt like it dragged on for a small eternity.

“Please?” Patton tried.

The man’s smile widened, and he chuckled. He shook his head. “Alright, whatever. Get in.”

The trio blinked and glanced at each other. Really? Was it that easy? Or was this man planning something? What if he was going to give them up? Call the authorities? What if he killed them himself?

The man’s short, sharp whistle made them look back over. A splash sent droplets onto the wood of the dock. A moment later a graceful, silver shape breached the water in an arching leap and Patton felt his breath whoosh out of him.

“I’ve never seen a dolphin in real life,” he said, awestruck. The man grinned smugly.

“Not surprising,” he said. “They’re rare as hell.”

Logan moved forward, peering over into the water, where the dolphin was ducking and diving in the waves around the dock. “Fascinating,” he murmured.

“So.” The man held out his hand. “From one witch-blood to another? What was it, a ticket out of dodge?”

(Janus chirped and Patton felt his chest swell. He didn’t feel even a hint of suspicion or fear. Virgil warbled down at the dolphin, who whistled back, further cementing Patton’s sense of security.)

With a final glance at Roman and Patton, Logan stepped forward and dropped the brooch into the man’s hand. He peered down at the golden treasure before smirking and holding out his other hand.

“It was supposed to be a handshake,” he said. Logan cleared his throat, embarrassed. He promptly shook his hand and then scrambled to catch the brooch when the man carelessly tossed it back to him. Patton shared a slightly bewildered look with Logan and followed him onto the boat. Janus launched himself from Patton’s shoulders and pounced onto the railing to peer down at the dolphin, seeming transfixed.

The boat dipped slightly when Remus thumped rather ungracefully onto the deck, but the captain didn’t seem to be bothered. He whistled and the dolphin trilled in response, leaping from the water one last time before disappearing under the waves.

“What’s she doing?” Patton asked.

“Getting out of my way,” the man replied, moving to the far cabin. “Wouldn’t want him getting caught in the way of the propellers.” Patton blushed at his mistake and followed him, ducking under the archway, and looking around at the compartment. It looked to only be for the control of the boat, but it still looked homey. A painting of seashells was hung on one of the walls, and several little objects that Logan would label as dust collectors were positioned on the dashboard. He smiled at the tiny sculpture of a diamond dolphin and wondered if it was real.

“He’s awfully pretty,” Patton complimented, hoping to remedy any bad blood he’d already managed to make. The man just scoffed.

“He knows that.” Patton quickly lost track of what he was doing to the control panel, but whatever he pushed or pulled made the engine rumble. “Remy, by the way.”

“The dolphin?” Patton asked. The man looked over his shoulder at him, and even with the sunglasses obstructing the view of his eyes, Patton could imagine the unimpressed look gifting his face.

“The dolphin,” he said, “is Emile, and you should not feed his ego.”

Patton embarrassed-blushed for a second time. “I’m Patton. My...” He fumbled for a moment forgetting that Janus was still outside and not tucked over his shoulders. “My familiar is Janus.”

“Peculiar name for a ferret,” Remy commented.

“I haven’t exactly heard of any dolphins named Emile,” Patton countered with a smile.

“Babe, I’m willing to bet you didn’t even know dolphins still existed until a few minutes ago,” Remy said, and Patton giggled.

“Fine, that’s fair.”

Remy smirked, but didn’t reply, and while the silence didn’t feel particularly awkward, Patton took that as his time to leave. Logan and Roman turned to look at him as he ducked back out into the sun.

“This is perfect,” he said to them. “We’re getting out of here.”

With a lurch, the boat started forward, and Patton watched as the dock began to shrink. Remus peeked over the edge of the boat’s railing and yowled in protest.

Roman laughed and reached over, ruffling between his ears. “What’s the matter, you big baby? Afraid of water?” Remus moaned in reply, shuddering, and hunkering down to the cool floor.

“I do hope he doesn’t get seasick,” Logan said, eyeing the bear warily. “This is a very small space to be on with a vomiting bear.”

Roman snorted and shrugged, looking happier than Patton had seen him. “I’ll take it, if it means getting away from people who want to split us up.”

“Seconded,” Patton agreed.

Logan sighed, but Patton knew he wasn’t disagreeing. He smiled and bumped their shoulders together. “You okay?”

Logan met his gaze and returned his smile. “Yes,” he said. “Are you?”

From the edge of the boat, Janus chattered excitedly. Beside him, perched on the railing, Virgil bobbed up and down, matching Roman’s aura of joy. A few waves away from the boat, Remy’s familiar was bounding along the sea, keeping pace with the boat. Patton linked his fingers with Logan’s. “I am.”

_Sirens were going off. The metal room was bathed in a red tint due to the alarms that had sunk out from the ceiling._

_They’d attacked the guards. There was a pool of blood spreading out from one of their heads. Another had his neck twisted oddly. The third was still alive, gasping and clawing at his mangled midsection._

_Well, Roman and Remus had attacked the guards. They’d dragged Logan back, a week later, unresponsive and beaten. They’d barely past the entry of the doorway, and Patton had lunged forward to catch Logan, solely focused on their friend. Roman had been more interesting in pissing them off further, it seemed, as he'd immediately begun to mouth them off, enticing them to come in. The rest was a blur._

_Logan had woken up at some point, when Patton had dug his face into his chest, crying, trying to block out Roman’s yelps and Remus’ roars and the guards’ wails._

_They were running, now, through unfamiliar halls and lit rooms. Logan was cradling Virgil in his hand (the raven looked smaller than Patton remembered). Roman and Remus were both covered in blood, and Patton was frankly too afraid to ask who it belonged to._

_Janus clung to Patton’s shoulders, hissing quietly. Patton’s heart was thudding against his ribs, making him feel sick. He wanted to clutch Janus to his chest and smooth his ruffled fur and kiss his trembling head and promise it was all going to be okay._

_They twisted around a corner to a new, long hallway — with an exit sign and double doors at the end._

_Patton almost stumbled in relief, but Logan gripped his arm and hefted him forward._

_“Where do you think you’re going?”_

_The trio staggered to a stop, starting in horror at the man in white at the end of the hallway. Where had he come from?_

_One of the doors behind him was creaked open. Patton caught a glimpse of wonderful, beautiful greens and blues on the other side. This man was blocking their only escape._

_“Get out of our way, asshole,” Roman snarled. Behind him, Remus rumbled a growl of agreement._

_The scientist laughed, a rough, harsh-sounding thing. Patton blanched at the sight of the gun held in his hands. He couldn’t prevent the whimper that trembled from his lips. The man gave them a twisted, crooked smirk, and sauntered forward. He kept them — namely, probably, Roman and Remus — from moving by holding the gun pointed in their direction._

_“Look, let’s make this as simple as possible.” He stopped in front of the three of them. “Stand down and run back into your cell.”_

_“It’s a cell, now?” Roman was fuming. “That’s funny. Last time I accused you of keeping us trapped, you said it was merely a_ room.”

 _Janus hissed in agreement, which surprised both Patton and the scientist. The white-coated man gave the ferret an arch look. Patton’s heart lodged itself in his throat. He shifted, angling his shoulder away from the man, blocking his familiar from view. It didn’t work particularly well —_ _Janus only hissed again and twisted, moving to perch on his other shoulder, glaring fiercely at the scientist. Patton sighed._

_“Do as I say,” the scientist said. The gun clinked as he moved it. “Or the three of you can watch your familiars die in front of you.”_

_“What more can you do?”_

_Strangely, this time the challenge came from Logan. Patton looked over at him, pale and trembling and matching the scientist’s glare with a furious light in his eyes. “You’ve already tortured me and Virgil. You forced_ me _to torture him.” Patton somehow felt sicker. “What more do you have planned?”_

_The scientist leaned forward. “Oh, aren’t you just the naivest brat.” It wasn’t a question. “We can do much, much worse.”_

_The two glared at each other._

_The gun clicked._

_And then a fist slammed into the man’s face._

_Patton yelped and leapt back._

_Roman threw himself at the scientist, slamming him back against the wall of the hallway. The man shoved him off, but before he could really recover, Remus bowled him over with a roar. The scientist slumped to the ground and didn’t move. Patton stared between the limp figure of his capturer to Roman’s heaving chest and blood-splattered face and clenched fists._

_“Let’s go,” Logan said, snapping Patton out of it. They fled to the other end of the hallway. For a moment, Remus sniffed at the unconscious man, but Roman snapped at him, pulling him away._

_They exploded from the facility. The burning setting sun scalded their strained eyes and warmed their pale skin._

_“Don’t stop,” Logan snapped. Patton listened to him. They ran straight into the woods surrounding the huge, white building._

_They didn’t stop running for a very long time._


End file.
